Star Fox: Trinity
by Ray85
Summary: Six years have passed since the C.O.R. war, and now Lylat enjoys a new era of peace. The Philat and Bikar system have formed their own governments, and a new political system maintains the peace within the three systems. However, a new conflict is coming, and this one will be fought in the shadows. An old enemy seeks to undermine the peace, and it'll be up to Star Fox to stop him.
1. The First Night

_Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, nor do I claim ownership. Star Fox and all of its corresponding assets are rightfully the property of their respective owners. I only claim ownership of my own original creations. This fan made work of fiction does not reflect upon any future projects being done within Nintendo or the Star Fox writers._

 _Hello Fanfiction readers! Most of you know me as Ray85, author of the Axios Trilogy (Star Fox: Black Sun, Star Fox: Crimson Star, Star Fox: All Father) under the Star Fox category, and Star Fox: Renegade. As I reached the end of All Father, I thought to myself on how I would continue my hobby of writing. I thought about what would happen to the characters after the events of All Father, and about why many of these past events have transpired._

 _I was pretty satisfied with the initial trilogy, but that one question still lingered in the back of my mind… what happened after the war?_

 _So, I said **** it. Why not add one more story to show where our heroes are today?_

 _Star Fox: Reclamation will show how far our heroes have come since the end of the C.O.R. war. As before, I'm far from being a skilled writer. I'm going to make some mistakes here and there, and if you notice anything incorrect in terms of grammar or the fluidity of the story, please send me a PM so I can be aware of my mistakes. I take all reviews and PM's to heart, and I base the continuity of my stories on the criticism I receive from reviews and PM's._

 _That being said, I won't waste any more time. Welcome to Star Fox: Reclamation!_

The First Night

~"I see him… after about a year… every night… every dream… since that day… I see him."

"We're fighting… in the throne room. Again and again we're fighting… every fight being different than the last."

"No matter how hard he tries… I always win. In the end, he's the one who gets beaten. I always kill him, but never the same way twice."

"I can see the look on his face; the moment fear takes him I can see it in his eyes."

"His beaten body… lying before me while I point my weapons at him. The stillness after I take his life. Over and over again."

"But… every night… the fight gets tougher."

"Every night… he becomes harder to kill…"

"And lately, even as I'm winning, I'm afraid."

"I'm afraid that one night he's going to beat me…"

"And that I won't wake up…"

He woke early in the night sweating from the dream he had just moments before, and left the comfort of his bed. A cold chill fell upon his bare chest, and he took a moment to reach to the ceiling to stretch. He shook out both of his legs to wake them form their slumber, and the looseness of his white night pants allowed him flexibility to move. He threw a black wife beater shirt over his torso and walked down stairs into the kitchen. After taking a few minutes to brew and pour a fresh mug of coffee, he quietly entered his office.

He took a sip of his coffee and activated a holographic monitor in front of him. As he sat down, a timer counted upwards on the screen as he began a video recording. "Time and time again, Lylat and its people would come under danger." He said into the monitor. "New threats would rise and fall with the times, but not once has Lylat ever been dealt such a crippling blow. However, a lone fox kicked off a sixteen year series of events that would change Lylat forever."

He took a moment to adjust his posture within his chair. He reached for his mug on the side of his desk and took a sip from his coffee. The warmth of the drink circulated through his body, and he felt more awake by the moment. Upon setting the mug down, he moved his chair forward slightly closer to his desk. As he leaned back and rested his arms, he looked upon the recording timer and watched it tick up briefly. He lost himself in his thoughts for a brief moment and rekindled his focus. "I didn't know that after meeting him, Lylat would go through so much trouble." He continued.

"This all started before I was born, shortly after the Anglar Blitz. Don't even know why they tried, but Star Fox put them down quickly. At least what was left of Star Fox at the time? I'm not sure. It's irrelevant. Two years after the Anglars, Fox McCloud and his reformed Star Fox team came across a criminal named Axios Faxton. They never knew what they had gotten themselves into when they partnered with him."

"Their deal was this: Axios would be allowed special freedoms in exchange for helping Star Fox track down his old organization, the Black Suns." Mentioning their name made him pause for a moment. He thought about all of the hardships the Star Fox team endured while fighting them and the pain of loss the Cornerians felt when an entire fleet had been destroyed. He reached out towards his mug and took another sip of coffee before continuing. "Things went beyond our control back then." He continued.

"The Black Suns was a faction renowned for using advanced fighter technology to improve their overall warfare strategy. Their flagship, the _Void_ , was a class S warship packing enough firepower to take on an entire fleet. One of the most dangerous flagships the Cornerian military had seen in its time. The organization was spear headed by an elderly rat known as Mr. Black. I doubt that was even his real name anyways. Black led the Black Suns and used his elite eight pilots to do his dirty work. Eight pilots flying the most advanced fighters you could ever lay eyes on."

"Axios used to be one of these pilots, number two in fact, but he turned traitor. They killed his lover, and I imagine he could never forgive them for that. It took some time, but after some near death experiences and systematically killing off the elite eight one by one, Star Fox was able to push the Black Suns back to their mobile base in Venom. The Hades Bomb took care of the rest, and that was it for the Black Suns. But, that was also it for Axios."

He paused again and reached for an ear piece on the side of his desk. He placed it into his ear and reached for his mug. He stood from his chair and walked towards the opposite end of the room to look out through a window. Outside, a morning storm clouded the sky over the Cornerian metropolis of Alpha City. He took a moment to admire the skyline view from his high end apartment, and took another sip from his coffee. "It wasn't the end though." He continued

"After the Black Suns, Fox and Krystal McCloud had a son together named Marcus McCloud." He smiled for a brief moment and chuckled at the thought mentioning the name. He lowered his head to take another sip of coffee and he paced to his side. He looked out through another window in his office as his office sat in the corner of his apartment. "Maybe I shouldn't talk about myself in the third person, so I'll ditch that for the rest of this recording." Marcus said.

"Sixteen years after the Black Suns Conflict, I was heading a new Star Fox team that comprised of myself, Abigail Hare, Fred Toad, and Star Fox veteran Falco Lombardi. We were sent on a mission to retrieve stolen Cornerian technology, but it went south. I watched a ship just vanish before my eyes, and even hide from radar detection. That one mission was the start to a new problem that Lylat would face. It was my first run in with the Crimson Organization."

Marcus took another sip form his coffee and walked back to his desk. He set down his mug and sat back into his chair. He leaned back comfortably and took a moment to stretch his arms high into the air. When his arms came back down to their rests, he looked at the holographic monitor once more. "The Crimson Organization was a faction renowned for their espionage and corruption tactics. They didn't have an army as big as the Black Suns, but they had even deadlier assets in their arsenal. To make things more interesting, they resided in a new star system known as Philat. It was only accessible through the Lylat mega gate. A giant portal to another star system that was built on the edge of Lylat years before I was born. Back then, no one really was brave enough to fly through it during its prototype days, but eventually it was successfully tested and opened to the public."

"The Crimson Organization was headed by the Crimson Star, a masked figure chosen by a small council that once had dealings with Mr. Black. He appointed five "masters" to handle the majority of Crimson operations in Lylat. Each master had an apprentice, a deadly assassin trained to be an expert pilot and an even deadlier fighter. Each apprentice received a genetically enhanced "beast" gene that allowed them to mutate into hulking monsters. Extreme size, strength, and speed; they could effortlessly tear through a firing squad of Cornerian soldiers." Marcus paused for a moment to take another sip from his coffee. "I thought I'd seen it all, but seeing them transform was something I'll never forget."

"Between us and the Crimson Organization, we didn't have very many flashy battles. Instead, they sent agents to infiltrate Corneria and put their people into a position of power. On top of that, they sent assassins to come and kill high priority targets. One of those targets was Peppy, and another was me." Marcus lost himself for a moment as a bright smile came upon his face. He rose from his chair and walked to the entrance of his office. He looked across his apartment and admired the spacious interior he lived in. But as he looked at the lofted second floor above him, he could see a vixen sleeping soundly behind the glass wall of their bed room.

Marcus's heart filled with warmth and happiness, and he let out a faint sigh to admire his view. He walked back to his desk and sat down once more. "An assassin named Sierra Spectra came for me in my room." He continued. "I wouldn't say this is a typical way to meet the love of your life, but life is an adventure after all. She and I got into a scrap, but I managed to take her down. Upon her capture, she told us a great deal about the Crimson Organization, and she was willing to help us stop them."

"Little did I know, Sierra had a surprise in store for us. She brought Star Fox towards a hidden mountain base within Macbeth, and Star Fox was reunited with Axios. It came across as a shock to some of us, and me especially. Mom and Dad told me my godfather had been killed by bounty hunters, but clearly that wasn't the case. Axios told us that over the sixteen years I spent growing up he had been slowly rebuilding the Black Suns under his image, and had plans to recruit new followers. I didn't think too much of it, but it was good to have him back."

"Peppy assigned eight of his best pilots to fly Axios's rebuilt fighters, and we were taking the fight to the Crimson Organization. We exposed their mole within the Cornerian military, brought him down, eliminated an automated Crimson fighter squadron, and even prepared to assault their home base of operations. Everything was going perfectly, until Axios unveiled his hidden agenda."

"Axios learned that the Crimson Star was actually his biological father, Cadeus Faxton. He thought that his father had died in a fire during his child years, but clearly that wasn't the case. I'm not sure how he did it, but Cadeus rose through the ranks and became the head of the Crimson Organization. After obtaining this information, Axios jumped the gun on the assault operation and sped through the mega gate. Using the stealth tech of his fighter, the _Archangel_ , he infiltrated the Crimson Organization's volcanic home world Vogar."

"The rest of us followed, and we brought a few fleets to help us with the assault. We fought our way through a pair of _Shroud_ canons, the remainder of the Crimson fleets, and Star Fox managed to get to the planet. However, we were one step behind. Axios got to Cadeus before we could, and he suffered grave injuries when engaging two Crimson apprentices. Mom, dad, Sierra, and I eventually arrived in time to help him, but Axios ran off before we had a chance. We cleaned up the two Crimson apprentices, and chased off after Axios."

Marcus took another sip from his coffee and placed the mug back on his desk. He lowered his head and put his hands together to twiddle his thumbs for a brief moment before continuing. "Axios managed to subdue his father, and the two had a talk before Axios shot him." He continued. "Axios died that day, and Cadeus would have been dead too. But before Axios killed him, he informed Axios that if his heart should stop, an internal transmitter tied to his pulse would give off a signal for the invasion of the Children of Red."

Marcus paused for another moment. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as painful thoughts emerged within his mind. "Axios died right before me. I felt his grip go weak in my hands, and watched him take his last breath. I've seen death more times than I care to mention, but his death wounded me deeper than any plasma round."

"I thought it was a load of bull at first, but when the doctors and scientists took a look at Cadeus's corpse it confirmed his story. Cadeus's heart was actually an artificial replacement. Inside of it was a transmitter the likes of which our techs have never seen before. The signal grew incredibly weak, and with Cadeus's warning we didn't take any chances."

"We kept the heart alive with life support for one month, which sounds like it was more time than we needed. But moving civilians from planet to planet, fortifying colonies; progress was incredibly slow. Seven million civilians moved into Corneria by the end of the first week, and thirty more by the end of the third. But each planet had cities and colonies totaling up into the hundreds of millions. After our time was up, it was when hell came into Lylat."

"The C.O.R. smashed their way through the initial Cornerian defense at the Lylat mega gate. We didn't stand a chance, we just lost good people. Some of the destroyers even tried to destroy the gate in a desperate attempt to stop the C.O.R. from advancing into Lylat. Even if we did destroy the gate, the C.O.R. would come in force at a later time. The C.O.R. war had finally begun."

"Loss after loss happened across Lylat, and even when victory was close the most we could have done was just push the C.O.R. away from the Cornerian controlled systems. We stalled out the war as long as we could, but the longer we stalled the more losses we sustained as a whole. I thought things were going to be taken a turn for the worse, but that was before we were sent on a mission in Meteo."

Marcus paused for a moment and looked to his side. He peaked through his door and noticed Sierra turn over in the bed and she faced Marcus's general direction. He leaned back in his seat and rested his chin on the top of his hand as he smiled at Sierra. Seeing her sleep peacefully, and safe, rekindled his warmth within his heart.

Marcus quietly rolled in his chair to the office door and placed his hand on a handprint scanner near the door. The door horizontally shut and Marcus rolled his chair back to his desk. "There's so much more that happened afterwards." He said into his holographic monitor. "I don't even know where to begin, but here goes. An R&D Corporation known as TriGenics brought Axios back from the dead, and needless to say he wasn't happy about it."

"I don't blame Axios for wanting to stay dead. After going through the hell of that war, I'd rather be sleeping also. We recovered Axios from the TriGenics facility, but there was something horrendously off about him. His personality, his composure; mom and I both sensed that he was keeping secrets from us. We learned that he had dealings with the All Father in the past, and that put us on edge. When he avoided answering our questions; that sent us over the edge. For a while we gave him cold shoulder, but he eventually came around and so did we."

"After Axios got settled in, Peppy informed us about Harbinger and the Eclipse. We felt as if though it was a wild goose chase, but we eventually found him and his army. Meeting with Harbinger opened up a door to an entire new story, and we learned that the C.O.R. War was never even meant to be our war. Harbinger told us his origin story, and the reason why he defected from the C.O.R. in the first place. On top of that, we learned that the mega gate to Philat was actually a sibling to a hidden mega gate in Sector Z. It was a lot to take in, but even as we left the _Ark's_ bridge I noticed Harbinger whisper something into Axios's ear. I didn't think too much of it at the time, but it was another secret Axios kept form us. I knew there was something wrong with Axios…"

Marcus took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes for a moment. "Damn it, I knew there was something wrong." He said as he tightened his fist. "I'm a telepath, the strongest alive. I should have sensed it. I should have just driven my hand into his mind, maybe it would have s-"

Marcus stopped himself as the door to his office opened. He looked to his side and saw Sierra standing at the entrance. She gently leaned upon the door frame with the right half of her body being visible to Marcus while the other half was obscured by the wall. Seeing her in her white night gown brought a sense of tranquility to Marcus, and she appeared as beautiful as he had ever seen her. "Another recording?" Sierra softly asked.

Marcus quickly touched a holographic button on his desk and paused his recording. He took out his ear piece and set it next to his mug, and stood form his chair and turned to face Sierra. He raised his arms in the air to stretch out is body, and he took a deep breath as he brought his arms down. "Yea." Marcus responded. "I'm sorry for waking you, I was just talking about-"

"Axios?" Sierra interrupted. She noticed Marcus lower his head and let out a depressive sigh. He sat back down in his seat and Sierra approached him. Marcus glanced over to the side and gazed upon Sierra's prosthetic left arm. The sight of it made Marcus feel sick to his core, and it made his anger towards Axios grow. Sierra reached out with her prosthetic arm and gently rested her hand on Marcus's shoulder. However, Marcus pulled his shoulder away and Sierra felt a wounding sensation within her heart.

Sierra walked around to Marcus's other side and gently rested her organic hand on Marcus's other shoulder. Feeling the warmth of her touch soothed Marcus, and he held her hand with his own. Sierra rested her other hand on Marcus's other shoulder and the cold touch put Marcus off ease. However, Sierra gently massaged Marcus shoulders and Marcus's stress and anger slowly vanished. "Marcus…" Sierra softly said as she continued to massage his shoulders. "What Axios did; it led to you saving my life."

Marcus thought about the past, about trying to escape the _Titan_ before it exploded entirely. He thought about Sierra's arm being trapped under the debris, and then thought of the moment Axios drove his knife into Sierra's shoulder to cut her arm off. Seeing that moment replay in his mind made him angry, but having Sierra behind him put him at ease. "Yea…" He softly said. "Yea I know."

Sierra leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Marcus's shoulder and neck. She held him close from behind to embrace him, and she gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Don't hate him." She said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "He loves you like a son and me as a daughter. He only wants to keep the two of us safe, no matter the cost."

Marcus gently placed his hand on Sierra's arm and the back of her neck and held her close in embrace. Holding her close relieved Marcus of his anger, and he took a deep breath to relax his nerves. Sierra smiled at the sight of Marcus being relaxed, and she gently kissed him on the cheek once more. She released Marcus and reached for his coffee mug on the side of his desk. "You're running low." She said as she noticed the near empty mug. "I'll freshen this up."

"You're an angel." Marcus said to Sierra as he watched her leave his office. As Sierra disappeared behind the office doors, Marcus brought his attention back to the holographic monitor. He pressed a button on the monitor and the recording timer resumed ticking upwards. "Well, I took a moment to pause because the love of my life decided to visit." He said into the monitor. "After learning Harbinger's origin story, we set out for finding the firing key for our super weapon, the _Purifier_."

"To add a bit of context, the _Purifier_ was originally an Eclipse engineered super weapon that was capable of combating the C.O.R. on equal footing. The size of it was massive, and the energy it dispersed was able to take out any enemy within the orbiting sector. It destroyed dozens upon dozens of ships all at once, and it was the most powerful weapon to have ever been built within Lylat. When the Cornerian military got their hands on the specs after the fall of the Crimson Organization, construction of the _Purifier_ began immediately."

"By the time we retrieved the firing key form Aquas, the _Purifier_ was finally completed. We launched an all-out counter offensive against the C.O.R. to reclaim our home worlds, and we started winning. Planet after planet we retook, and we nearly drove the C.O.R. out of Lylat. But everything went wrong when we made it to Sector Z."

Marcus stopped as Sierra knocked on the door frame to his office. She held his mug and Marcus could see steam rising from inside as the mug had been refilled. He smiled at Sierra and rose from his seat to approach her. "You're an angel." He said as he held out his hand.

To his surprise, Sierra pulled the mug away from Marcus's reach and turned her head to the side. She gave Marcus a smirk and held his coffee close to her. "And what do I get?" She playfully asked.

Marcus smiled and he reached around Sierra's back to hold her close. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and at the same time reached for his coffee. "Love you." He cheerfully said as he took his mug from Sierra.

Sierra blushed after Marcus's affectionate action and she smiled. She leaned against the door as Marcus sat back down to continue his recording. "Don't take too much longer." She said to his as she turned away. "It's 7a.m. and we've got to be out of here by eight."

"Make a cup for yourself." Marcus said to Sierra as she walked away. He turned his attention back towards the holographic monitor before him, and resumed his recording. "The battle at Sector Z was the turning point against the Cornerian military and the Eclipse." He continued. "When we thought we had them on the run, the C.O.R. activated the mega gate to Bikar and played their trump card. A new C.O.R. fleet came through the gate and along with it a new titan-class warship. The Ruby Armada was headed by its flagship, the _Archfiend_. That monster was nearly the size of the _Titan_ ¸ and packed firepower as strong as the _Ark_. The _Archfiend_ destroyed the _Purifier_ in one shot, and we retreated from Sector Z."

"A few hours after our loss at Sector Z, the C.O.R. swarmed Corneria in full force. It was then were pulled out every single piece of ordinance we had. We even activated our prototype surface to orbit defense system, the _Sky Spears,_ to aid in defending the planet. We did everything we could, but problems began to stack one after the other."

"We focused our efforts, and we managed to destroy the _Archfiend._ It costed us the _Ark,_ but Tyrell was able to safely crash it planet side a few dozen miles from Alpha City. We even salvaged the city inside the wreckage and formed Ark City. Kind of cool if you ask me. We lost a lot of good people that day. We lost friends, and even family. Peppy died on the planet when the C.O.R. came after the _Sky Spear_ control station. I was there, but I wasn't able to protect him. After Peppy died, I decided to lead Star Fox on an all-out assault on the _Titan_. Our goal was to cut off the head of the snake."

"It wasn't easy, but a few of us managed to get inside the _Titan._ Harbinger, Axios, and I breached the _Titan_ 's exterior and managed to get inside. The interior of the _Titan_ was identical to the _Ark_. A small city filled the interior, and when the three of us got inside we rained hell down onto the place. After concluding our attack run, we docked our fighters in front of the bridge's palace. It was there the three of us fought our way through their defenses, and into the bridge itself."

"Things there got crazy. I went off ahead to fight the All Father while Axios and Harbinger faced the rest of the C.O.R. in the area. I don't know how they did it but they managed to hold their own. As for me, my fight against the All Father was the most brutal duel I could ever possibly have. The All Father and I used our Cerinian staves against each other, and in one fight I learned more about whom I was and what I was capable of. I learned about my heritage."

Marcus paused for a moment as he heard a shower head running in the adjacent bathroom. Marcus briefly tapped into his telepathy and sensed Sierra within the bathroom. The thought of her deterred Marcus's train of thought, and he did not know what to say next. "Truth be told…" He said into the recording. "Sierra was mortally wounded right in front of me. The All Father had undergone a transformation known as the Awakening. He turned his staff into a spear and stabbed Sierra right through her chest in front of me."

Replaying the event in his mind brought a chill up and down Marcus's spine. He felt a taste of the same fear he had felt back then, and he clenched his hand into a first and shut his eyes tight. After a brief moment, he took a breath to calm his nerves and reached out for his coffee. He took a sip and felt warmth reenter his body. "Before that though, I underwent a change." He said as he set his coffee down. "The All Father and I entered a telepathic stalemate within our minds, and I found someone locked away in the back of his consciousness whom I never thought I'd meet."

"I met Soren Lattenius, the All Father's son. Even though I was in the All Father's head for a few moments, it felt like hours. In that time, Soren explained to me the history of the Lattenius blood line, and the story of the old Cerinian telepathic warriors. I learned of my hidden potential to unlock new abilities with my staff, and I learned of the All Father's past."

"Soren Lattenius transferred his essence into my staff, allowing me to link with it like the warriors of the old. When the situation became dire, he granted me the knowledge to use my own Awakening. When I did the transformation for the first time, Soren offered the remainder of his essence as the payment to use the technique. I didn't think much about the new found power I obtained. I only wanted vengeance for Sierra. The All Father took her from me, and I was going to take something from him."

"The Awakening gave me the power to take down the All Father, and just in time too. He had activated a weapon known as the _Devastator_ and intended to use it to destroy Corneria. I wasn't about to let that happen, and I managed to stop the weapon in time. At the same time, Axios and Harbinger overloaded the _Titan_ 's reactor core and sent the damn ship to go supernova. The explosion took out the rest of the C.O.R. in the area. That was the moment we had finally won the war."

"It's been six years since the end of the C.O.R. War. A lot has changed since then, and I can't even begin to account for it all. So here's the short version. Toran was inaugurated as the new general shortly after the war. Harbinger and the Eclipse returned to the Bikar System, and he formed the Lithonian Republic of Bikar renaming the planet Baloran to New Lithon. Even the Philat System now has its own government, the Philat Congregation."

"As for Star Fox, the old breed is in retirement. All of our parents are living comfortably in their manor like homes. Bet they're probably bored out of their minds with all the time. Axios, Isaac, and Joey are still active in the Cornerian military and founded the Black Mist Coalition. A new black op branch of the military, Toran even gave Axios the rank of Commander. But my team, well we're mainly hiring ourselves out as escorts and peace keepers these days. The team consists of myself, Sierra, Freddy, and Abbie. I couldn't ask for a better team."

"There isn't much else to say, other than that life is different now. Crime rates are at an all-time low, and Star Fox hasn't had a real dangerous assignment for the past six years. Life is pretty peaceful, but only god knows how much longer this will last. As much as I enjoy the peace, I still have a feeling that something big is about to happen. This is Marcus McCloud, aged twenty two, head of Star Fox. Signing off." Marcus tapped a button on his holographic monitor and the entire setup closed before him.

Marcus placed a finger on his temple once more and sensed Sierra finishing up in the bathroom. She opened the door and a towel rested around her shoulders as her wet hair dripped onto it. She donned a white tank top with civilian pants as she continued to dry her hair. She went from the bathroom towards the entrance of Marcus's office. Before she would stand in view, Marcus turned in his chair and held his mug in anticipation. As Sierra came into view, Marcus sat patiently while drinking his coffee. "Where to?" He asked.

"I'm just getting ready." Sierra responded. "You should too. The Trinity Council meets soon, and we need to be there for security."

Marcus took another sip of his coffee and stood from his chair. "All right." He said. "Give me a few and I'll clean myself up." Marcus stood from his chair and approached Sierra. He handed her the coffee mug and entered the bathroom next door. "You can have the rest if you want. I'm going to wash up."

"Need some company?" Sierra flirtatiously asked.

Marcus chuckled at her advancement and gently tapped into her thoughts. Though a part of her was willing, she also had other things to take care of before she could indulge herself. "You've got other things to take care of." He said to her. "We'll play later."

Sierra took a sip from Marcus's mug and smiled. "Your loss." She said as she walked away.

Marcus smiled and nodded his head to the side. As he closed the door to the bathroom and removed his top, he looked into the mirror next to him. He could see scars around his upper torso and abs, and memories of past fights slowly crowded his mind. "I wish I could forget about the war." He thought to himself. "But, I guess I'll never have that luxury."


	2. The Trinity Council

_All Father was the last one they said… you'll be done they said… DONE THEY SAID… hmph… they can't leave a watcher be… no no… now I have to come back and narrate another story. Thanks Ray… frickin' great. He doesn't pay me enough for this nonsense…_

 _-Clears throat-_

 _And so, a new story unfolds. A hero returns, but troubled memories and scarred wounds remind him of the war he wishes to forget. Leave a review if you'd like, and as always; enjoy the chapter!_

The Trinity Council

~The morning sun came to brighten the Cornerian sky, and a transport shuttle came to pick up Marcus and Sierra form their apartment. The two of them boarded and sat together on a bench near a window across from a pair of Cornerian officers. The shuttle flew over Alpha City below, and Marcus and Sierra enjoyed the view. The two of them let their minds wander for a moment as the sight of the city at peace briefly put them into a daze. "Almost like a war never happened." Sierra softly said as she gently leaned against Marcus. "Everything is so clean, and peaceful."

Marcus loosely wrapped his arms around Sierra's shoulders and smiled. "It's what happens when three star systems' worth of people come together to rebuild." He said as he continued to stare out the window. "But I know what you mean. No violence below, no people crying out for help. It's almost like our little utopia."

"Um, excuse me?" One of the officers timidly asked. "Captain McCloud?"

Marcus and Sierra turned their gaze to the officers before them and smiled. A pair of young anthropomorphic leopards sat across from them, and they both took a moment to study the officers' timid body language. The officers appeared to be fresh out of the military academy, and to be riding with the leader of Star Fox must have made the officers nervous. "Yes?" Marcus asked.

"They didn't tell us much about our assignment." One of the officers said as he leaned forward. "We were told to escort you, but we weren't told where we were going."

Sierra gently leaned off of Marcus and directed her attention forward. "We're going to Ark City." She said to the officer. "We've been assigned as security chiefs for today's council session."

"The council?" The other officer nervously asked. "As in the Trinity Council? I didn't know we were going there."

Marcus and Sierra chuckled. Marcus leaned forward and held up his hand to calm the officer. "Relax my man." He said with a smile. "It's nothing too special really. Just politicians require a little bit of extra security. What're your names?"

"I'm Lieutenant Jack Cord." The first leopard responded.

"And I'm Lieutenant Nicholas Harth." Said the second.

Marcus leaned back in his seat and gave the two officers a graceful smile. "Jack, Nick, don't let us intimidate you." He cheerfully said. "I promise we don't bite."

"If anything we like meeting new people." Sierra added with a smile. "Despite what our reputation says about us, we're not cold blooded killers. We're people too."

Jack and Nicholas looked at each other and took a deep breath. "All right." Jack softly said. "So, what's the deal with the council? They didn't tell us much about it back in the academy."

Marcus sat up tall and took a deep breath. "Well, I'll start from square one." He said. "About a year after the war ended, and the restoration movement was well under way; General Toran of Corneria and Harbinger of New Lithon decided that there needed to be a governing body to preserve order in the three systems. So, after the Philat system formed their government, the Philat Congregation, the three governing systems came together to make the Trinity Council."

"Once a month, the council meets in one of the three systems to discuss tri-system politics. It is there they decide what regulations to impose, what laws they want to sign in, prosecute war criminals, things like that."

Sierra leaned forward to chime in. "What he's forgetting to mention is that there are a lot of people involved in the process." She said. "Each system has two marshal officers. One is the Commander in Arms, and the other is the Chief Ambassador. The Commander in Arms is in charge of all military responsibilities within their respective star system, while the Chief Ambassador handles all of the diplomatic responsibilities. Having the responsibility split between two offices allows for better focus on each task at hand, and the two officers who hold the positions can communicate their thoughts and ideals in two perspectives rather than one."

"So who's Lylat's two marshal officers?" Nicholas asked.

"Our current Commander in Arms is General Alex Toran." Marcus responded. "Since he's the general it was the most logical choice, and he actually created the position. He led the defense against the C.O.R. six years ago, and on top of that he's one of the council's founding members."

"Our Chief Ambassador is Lucy Hare." Sierra added. "Being the late General Hare's daughter, her name carried weight and her knowledge of political sciences made her the perfect candidate to hold the office. On top of that, she has connections to the diplomats in the Philat and Bikar systems. The integration process for her was a bit shaky at first, since the opposition wanted to point out her lack of experience in active politics. But with a good word from Star Fox, and Toran's personal approval; the people of Lylat elected her."

"What about the other two systems?" Jack asked.

"Well, the Lithonian Republic of Bikar elected Harbinger as their Commander in Arms. Their reasoning was similar to ours. Harbinger is their military leader, or their "ship master" as they call him. For their Chief Ambassador, they decided to elect a guy by the name of Sventus Tyrell. Lorenz was Harbinger's right hand man during the war, and the two of them have good chemistry and a good track record of getting things done. On top of that, they are working together to continue rebuilding their culture in the Bikar system. Tyrell has done a tremendous job working with the other diplomats, and Harbinger has done well to keep the peace."

"The Philat Congregation is a bit more interesting. They elected a brown panther by the name of Daniel Tahm as their Chief Ambassador. I've personally never heard of the guy, but for the past few years he hasn't done anything to cause suspicion. Although I've also heard he's kind of a jerk. The Philat Congregation's Commander in Arms is a snow leopard by the name of Laura Christie. She's perhaps the next youngest military leader I've seen compared to Toran, but don't let her age fool you. She's got more brains than most leaders I've seen to date."

"The last part of the council membership is made up by the senators." Sierra interjected. "There are twenty three senators from each government that accompany the marshal officers. Each of the senators own a district somewhere within their respective systems. With twenty five representatives from each government, the council totals up to seventy five people total. There is rarely a tie in voting practices, and the senators can chime in their concerns for their respective regions. Thus, the council does a good job at maintaining the peace while implementing policy."

"I think that pretty much covers everything we'd have to know." Jack said in response to listening to Marcus and Sierra. "Haven't really had the time to look into the council that much."

"It's always good to do a little bit of research here and there." Marcus added.

An alarm sounded off within the shuttle and Jack and Nicholas looked about the cabin. "Attention crew." A voice sounded off from a speaker. "ETA to destination is ten mikes. Air traffic is a bit denser over Ark City due to the council summit being held there."

"Ark City. That reminds me, isn't that city named after the Lithonian's titan?" Nicholas asked. "As in the same _Ark_ from the battle of Corneria?"

"That's right." Marcus responded. "During the defense, the Lithonian titan-class warship, the _Ark,_ was incapacitated while defending the planet. Lorenz Tyrell took the helm and managed to safely crash land the vessel a few dozen miles from Alpha City. What's funny is that the damage, even though severe, didn't really impact the _Ark's_. The internal structure remained intact, even the city inside the _Ark_. After tearing the roof off the ship, and realizing that the engines were well beyond repair, the Lithonians and Cornerians worked together to salvage the city inside. Ark City is the remnants of the _Ark_ itself, and there lies the Lithonian Embassy on Corneria."

"A city inside of a ship?" Jack asked. "How big was this thing?"

"The _Ark_ 's dimensions were 6500 meters in length, and roughly 1400 meters in width." Sierra responded. "On top of that, the height was somewhere around 600 meters tall. It was the first ship to be categorized as a titan-class from our military, the largest ever seen."

"Titan-class?"

"Since the end of the war, the "titan" status is given to war ships whose dimensions span greater than a mile in length." Sierra looked out the window of the shuttle and noticed Ark City in the distance. "Only four titans have been known to exist: _Ark_ , _Purifier_ , _Titan,_ and _Archfiend_. There has yet to be a fifth titan-class to be discovered."

"Damn. I don't think the three systems have need for another titan these days anyways."

"Surely scare the hell out of any bad guys though." Nicholas cheerfully added. "Hell I wouldn't mind driving a titan myself for a dream job."

Sierra smiled and gently leaned her head against Marcus once more. She reached out for his hand and held it tight. The touch from her organic hand soothed Marcus, and he gently leaned his head on top of hers. Seeing their display of affection eased Jack and Nicholas. "So, how long have you two been together?" Jack asked. "I mean, is it normal for members of Star Fox to have relationships with other members?"

Marcus and Sierra chuckled and smiled at Jack. "Freddy Toad is dating Abigail Hare." Sierra responded. "And I've been with Marcus since my earlier days on Star Fox. Relationships amongst us is what makes us stronger as a whole, and in all honesty; we're a family. We look at Freddy and Amanda as if they were our own brother and sister, and every past member of Star Fox is more than welcome back within the team."

"You guys have a lot of members come and go?" Nicholas asked.

"During the war, Star Fox totaled up to thirteen members. So to make sure we were efficient we divided our efforts into three teams. Blue team was comprised of myself, Marcus, and his parents Fox and Krystal McCloud. Gold team was comprised of Falco Lombardi, Katt Monroe, Isaac Doran, and Joey Todd. Red team was comprised of Freddy and Abbie, along with Freddy's parents Slippy and Amanda Toad."

"Our thirteenth member was a fox known as Axios Faxton. He's been more of a part-timer compared to the rest of the team. He had a shadier past, and to be honest his secrets ended up getting us into a great deal of trouble. But, he helped us through the past three wars, saved our lives more times than we care to mention, helped kill the leader of the Black Suns and the Crimson Organization, and we look at him as family."

"So, where's the rest of the Star Fox Alumni?" Jack asked.

"Well my parents are in retirement." Marcus responded. "Same with Freddy's parents. Axios, Joey, and Isaac took off for their own way, and by some miracle Katt convinced Falco to retire."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?" Nicholas asked.

"Sierra tried to kill me." Seeing the look of shock on Jack and Nicholas's face made Marcus laugh. "Truth be told, Sierra used to be an assassin for the Crimson Organization. Her assignment at the time was to sneak into my house and kill me."

"Wh- what?!" Jack and Nicholas said in their surprise.

"It's a very long and complicated story." Sierra interjected. "Short version. Since I failed my mission, I had two options. Run or die. Any Crimson operative that fails a mission would be hunted down and killed. I was about to run, but Marcus spared my life and offered me a third option. After working with Star Fox, I was pardoned and he let me join the team full time. Throughout my time with Star Fox, he and I just got closer and closer. One thing just lead to another and now we're the happy couple that we are today."

"That's honestly the last thing I'd expect from a couple's meeting story." Jack said. "But, I mean, you two seem to be doing very well for yourselves. So congrats to you both."

"Thanks, we appreciate that." Marcus responded. "Well we can talk about ourselves all day, but we've got some time to kill. Why not tell us about you?"

Jack and Nicholas looked at each other and leaned back in their seats. "Not much we can say about ourselves to be honest." Jack responded. "Nick and I have had each other's back since our kid days, and we ended up entering the academy together. They trained us how to fight, how to be good cops, and taught us the ways of dealing with city life. How to interact with people."

"Damn good students too." Nicholas responded. "They cleared us for Cornerian Air Force training also. We got to fly the new ARW's, and that was surely a hell of a time."

"ARW's?" Sierra asked.

"Armed Response Wings. Just a fancier way of describing the new fighters."

"With the additional training, we had to log in at minimum a thousand flight hours before receiving our commendations." Jack added. "Took us an extra four months but it was worth it though. We're the only two in our class qualified to be recruited for military air force ops. Not that the military has had much need for wartime pilots these days anyways."

"Consider it a blessing that we don't have a need for wartime pilots." Marcus said. "After the last war, the three systems could use a period of peace."

"Come to think of it, didn't you two introduce yourselves as lieutenants?" Sierra asked.

"Yes we did." Nicholas responded. "After we got our flight commendations, we went back to the academy to begin officer's training. There was a little more paper pushing involved, but another year went by and we both obtained the rank of lieutenant. Since we did that we've been spending most of our time escorting senators and tending to the needs of higher ranking individuals. Kind of dull though the more I think about it."

"But, the benefits are better." Jack interjected. "So it's not all that bad."

Another alarm sounded off within the cabin of the shuttle. "Attention crew." A voice said over the loud speaker. "The Lithonian embassy has grounded all air traffic to clear us a path. ETA is one mike. Prepare for arrival."

Marcus and Sierra stood from their bench and Jack and Nicholas did the same. "Say, what are you two doing after we get dropped off?" Marcus asked.

"We're going to be heading back to Alpha City HQ and then reassigned somewhere else most likely." Jack responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Why don't you two come with us?" Sierra interjected from behind Marcus. "We could use more trust worthy faces when we run security for the council."

"Y- You want us?" Nicholas asked in his shock. "To help you? Security for the Council?"

"Why not?" Marcus cheerfully asked. "Give you a taste of our world for a bit. Besides, it'll beat being stuck behind a desk. We can clear it with your C.O. and you guys won't have to worry."

Jack and Nicholas looked at each other and smiled in their excitement. "Hell yea!" Jack responded. "It'll be our honor."

"Perfect." Marcus responded. "Give Sierra the ID of your C.O. and she'll take care of the rest."

Within moments, the shuttle arrived at the edge of Ark City and quickly approached the center. It moved towards a tall, circular building within the center of the old _Ark_ shape. The roof had four doorways leading into the building, and a welcome crew awaiting the landing of the shuttle. After a few moments, the pilot carefully touched down on the platform, and the welcome crew approached it.

The doors opened revealing the crew inside to the welcoming crew. Marcus and his group looked upon an elder anthropomorphic eagle dressed in green Lithonian robes. They greeted the eagle with a smile and the eagle did the same. "Welcome, Marcus and Sierra of Star Fox." Said the eagle. "I am known as Cordain, and I am the emissary to Bikar's Marshall Officers."

Marcus and his crew stepped down from the shuttle and approached the welcome crew. He reached out and shook Cordain's hand and nodded his head. "It is a pleasure." He said. "The two behind me are Lieutenants Cord and Harth. They'll be assisting us in today's security detail."

"Understood." Cordain responded as he gestured Marcus towards the entrance. "All of the marshal officers are present, along with their senators. The summit will begin soon. Please, come this way."

The group approached one of the doorways and noticed the doors opened before them to reveal a large elevator. As they boarded and descended from the roof, Marcus pressed a series of buttons on his wrist communicator. A small hologram of the Lithonian embassy appeared over his wrist, and Marcus took that time to study the building structure. "Ok, before they start the session I want to go over a few things." He said to the group. "I want a pair of guards posted up at every building entrance. Both ground floor, mid docks, and roof. On top of that I want a pair of guards at each entrance to the council chambers. While the session is underway, no one gets in or out of this building without me hearing about it."

Cordain turned his gaze towards a member of his welcome crew and nodded his head. The crew member pressed a finger on his ear piece and relayed Marcus's commands to the rest of the security detail. "Understood, Marcus." Cordain responded. "What else would you have of us?"

"Nothing more than what is already in place." Marcus responded while working with his wrist communicator. "My team and I will post up in the council chambers. We'll be on the inside of the entrances while the guards post up on the outside."

"Very well." Cordain felt a vibration on his side and he reached into his robe to grab a small holocommunicator. He pressed a button and a small holographic rendering of Harbinger appeared before him. "Ah, ship master. How may I be of service?"

Seeing Harbinger's image stunned Marcus for a brief moment, and he smiled at the sight. "Cordain, I trust that young Marcus and his team are with you?" Harbinger asked.

"They are by my side at this moment, ship master." Responded Cordain as he looked to Marcus at his side.

"That is great news. The security detail has positioned more guards at the building entrances." Harbinger turned his head and looked up at Marcus. "I assume that was your doing?"

"One can never be too careful, Ace." Marcus responded. "A lot of VIP's are here. Gotta take precautions."

"In that, we are in agreement." Harbinger paused for a moment as a small holographic image of Tyrell appeared. Tyrell whispered into Harbinger's ear and Harbinger nodded his head. "The council can be delayed no longer. The session is about to begin." He said. "If you are going to enter the chambers, please do so quietly."

"Understood Harbinger." Marcus responded. "Good luck."

Harbinger nodded his head and his holographic image disappeared. As Cordain placed his holocommunicator back into his robe, the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors opened and the crew walked into a long, circular hallway with various entrances towards the council chambers in the center. As they walked, Cordain came to a stop at one of the entrances and gestured Marcus and his team inside. "You may enter the chambers through here." Cordain said to the team. "It has been an honor, Marcus of Star Fox."

"Thanks again Cordain." Marcus responded.

The team slowly entered the council chambers and Marcus created a telepathic link amongst the four of them. "Remember, no talking." He mentally said to his team. "Thoughts only."

Hearing Marcus's words in their heads shocked Jack and Nicholas. "Whoa!" Jack thought as he placed a hand on his head. "You can do that?!"

Sierra turned around and gave the two of them a look. "He is a telepath." She mentally said. "Perhaps the most powerful one to have ever lived. You'll get used to it, don't worry."

The team slowly continued onwards and finally obtained a view of the council chambers. The large, circular chambers were brightly lit from a dome light fixture above. The many senators within the room sat in three regions of the large, circular, theater style seating. Within the center of it all, four arc shaped tables rested on the ground with a holoprojector in the center of all of them. Each system's marshal officers sat at one of the arc shaped tables, and a council mediator sat at the fourth.

Marcus took a moment to study the environment and noticed three other entrances to the chambers. "Remember, keep it quiet." He mentally said to the team. "Sierra, I want you at that entrance to the left. Jack, take the one to the right. I'll walk around and head to the entrance dead ahead. Nick, you stay put here."

The team nodded their heads and they quietly walked to their assigned posts. A few senators noticed them walking on the floor but paid them no mind. Marcus and Harbinger briefly made eye contact as he made his way to his post. The two exchanged a quick nod of their heads before Harbinger turned his focus back towards the council. Similarly, Sierra shared a quick wave with Lucy and smiled at Toran before reaching her post.

As the team reached their posts, they listened in on the council. "Going back to the issue surrounding the trade routes within the Philat System." The mediator said. "Chief Ambassador Tahm had requested more armaments to be delivered for the Philat expansion efforts. Chief Ambassador Hare, your comments on this matter?"

Lucy took a deep breath and looked at Tahm. "Chief Ambassador Tahm, the Lylat Republic is well aware of the terrorist attacks on your trade routes. We have sent you troop transports, and weapons technology to help you combat the insurrectionists. Are the requisitions that we sent you not enough to combat this threat?"

Tahm leaned forward and locked onto her eyes in preparation for an aggressive response. "If the armaments you had already sent us were enough, I wouldn't have brought this matter to attention in the first place." He said in a low tone. "These terrorists are attacking supply convoys that are required to keep the Philat system in a state of balance. They have been a thorn at my side for nearly two years, and I for one am sick and tired of their aggression."

"Chief Ambassador Tahm." Tyrell interjected. "Your aggressiveness at these sessions as of late have been growing more tiresome and less amusing. The Lithonian Republic of Bikar has also sent warriors and arms to your system to assist in this matter, yet you have shown no progress in eliminating the terrorists on your own terms. Without seeing results, sending additional arms into the Philat regions would be a detrimental usage of resources."

"Results? You're asking me for results? Here are your results. Twelve supply convoys raided, five colonies attacked, and hundreds upon hundreds of innocents dead. That was within the last three months. These insurrectionists have proven more difficult to track. They attack, take their prize, and vanish as quickly as they came. We need more men."

Toran adjusted himself in his seat and sat tall. He looked at Tahm and brought his hands together on the table before him. "Guerrilla hit and run tactics are generally a most effective means of combat when a group is put against a larger force." Said Toran. "However, the number of colonized worlds within the Philat system now number five. Lylat and Bikar have sent some of the best weaponry we have along with men and women trained to use them. How is it that they have eluded the Philat army for this long when they have so few worlds to hide in?"

Laura leaned forward in her seat and locked gazes with Toran. "General Toran." She said. "My fleets have been scattered across Philat looking for these terrorists. Whatever their means, they are very good at eluding capture. Even though we only have five planets in our system, they are still planets. Massive in size, and plenty of places for an enemy to hide. If my Chief Ambassador says we need more men, it's because we need more men."

The marshal officers sat quietly for a few moments. They contemplated amongst themselves about what actions to perform. Meanwhile, Marcus continued to preserve the psychic link between his team. "This Tahm guy is a total dick." He thought.

"I'll second that statement." Jack responded. "He's got no patience with the other marshal officers."

"Based on what I can sense from them, Tahm has been like that since the founding of the council. Kind of sucks that our officers and Bikar's officers have had to deal with him. I wonder what his senators must think of him."

"I'm not sure." Sierra mentally said. "But to be honest I don't think I could care less."

"Agreed." Nicholas mentally added. "That being said, politics for me has always been a bit boring anyways."

"Guard duty has always been boring for you, Nick." Jack mentally interjected. "You hated all the posting hours."

"Yea because nothing ever happens." Nick stretched his arms up into the air and took a deep breath. "When was the last time we ever got involved with something-"

All of the lights within the council chambers quickly went dark, and all of the council members quickly stood within their seats and became distressed. Sensing something running afoul, Marcus quickly drew his blaster and rushed towards the marshal officers. The rest of his team did the same and quickly looked about the darkened council chambers. "Nick, you had to open your mouth." Jack hastily said.

"Shut it." Marcus quickly responded. "Power just went out. Stay put for the time being."

"Marcus, what's going on?" Toran asked as he stood from his seat.

"I'm assuming it's just a power outage. Not taking chances though. Just stay put for the time-"

Marcus cut himself off as he noticed the holoprojector in the center of the council chambers flicker on. A large holographic image of an anthropomorphic lion appeared. The lion sat on top of a stool within the hologram, and he twirled a butterfly knife in his hand. A black coat hung loosely over his shoulders, and his tactical pants held a pair of blasters and a chain of knifes along its legs. "Hello, members of the Trinity Council." Said the lion.

Marcus quickly looked at Sierra and pointed to her wrist gauntlet. He quickly remembered that Sierra had her wrist gauntlet updated with a new software patch that allowed her to trace communications. "Sierra, trace this now!" He quickly said.

Sierra quickly holstered her blaster and activated her wrist HUD. "I'm on it."

Marcus turned his attention back towards the lion. "Chief Ambassador Tahm is well familiar with me, but the rest of you will know me as Tanner Lloyd." Said the lion. "This isn't an active communication link, but a message to you ungrateful, ignorant politicians."

"I am the leader of the Philat Liberators, and I take responsibility for the recent attacks on Tahm's fleets. You may be wondering why, but the answer is simple. Tahm has done nothing for the sake of the people of Philat. He neglects the poor, the sick, the weak, and I would see him removed from office."

Marcus looked at Sierra again. "Sierra?" He asked.

"I'm working on it!" Sierra quickly responded.

"Take note of this, until Tahm is removed from his position, I will continue my raids." Lloyd continued. "My campaign will not stop until Tahm resigns. Whether or not it's on his own free will, or by force, he will step down. He has polluted the Philat system enough with his lies and his corruption, and he run the system as a dictatorship compared to a republic. "

"Someone turn this off!" Tahm angrily yelled.

"I can't." The mediator responded. "My controls to the system have been overwritten."

"As for the rest of you politicians, I have but this one message." Lloyd continued. "For allowing Tahm his position for this long, I find you all equally guilty of the same crime. Once I am done with the Philat system, my plans will take my forces outward. For every day that Tahm remains in office, I will strike out at both the Lylat and Bikar system as well. The choice is yours."

Marcus turned once more at Sierra. "SIERRA!" He yelled.

"I got it!" Sierra responded. "This- Wait, this can't be right."

"Where?!"

"It's being sent from the roof of this building!"

Out of instinct, Jack and Nicholas quickly ran from the center of the chambers. "Jack! Nick!" Marcus called out. "Where are you going?!"

"We're on it!" Jack responded. "Keep the marshal officers safe!"

Marcus became frustrated at the two of them running off, but quickly brushed off the emotions and focused on the council. As new security forces arrived within the chambers, Jack and Nicholas boarded an elevator to take them to the roof. Jack checked his ammo count within his blaster and readied it to fire. "You ready?" He asked Nicholas.

Nicholas readied his blaster and nodded his head. "Hell yes." He responded.

The elevator reached the roof top and the two quickly ran forward. They pointed their blasters around the area but there was no one to be seen. They noticed a pair of guards lying dead on the ground, and the sight of the two corpses put them on alert. "What the hell?" Jack asked. "Where is the-"

"Jack, look there." Nicholas said as he pointed to the center of the rooftop.

Nicholas and Jack approached the center and looked down upon a device. "This is a receiver." Nicholas said. "This is being used to relay the message from somewhere else."

"Someone must have planted this here recently." Jack said as he turned towards one of the corpses. "Poor bastard."

Nick continued to work with the receiver but quickly noticed a blinking light on the bottom. "Wait a second." He said as he reached towards the bottom of the receiver. As he examined it more closely, he heard a ticking sound and he panicked. "JACK! BOMB!"

Nicholas quickly stood up and pushed Jack away from the receiver. Moments afterwards, the receiver exploded and the small shockwave threw them towards the edges of the roof. Jack felt disoriented and a high pitch ring went off in his ears numbing his sense of hearing. His vision was blurred as he slowly looked around his surroundings, and he slowly rose back to his feet. As his vision came back to him, he looked around and noticed Nicholas lying on the ground motionless. "Nick?" He said. "Nick!"

Jack shook the starts from his vision and quickly approached Nicholas. He rolled Nicholas on his back and became mortified at the sight. Large, bloody wounds could be seen on his neck and arms, and a larger wound still was found on his back. "Nick!" Jack screamed as he held Nicholas. "Nick, wake up! Nick!"

A tall trail of smoke rose from the roof of the Lithonian embassy, and the entirety of Ark City went on full alert. However, from the rooftop of a building in Alpha City, a pair of black furred jackals watched the chaos unfold through a pair of binoculars. Using an advanced zoom feature, the two could see Jack holding Nicholas on the roof top a few dozen miles away. "Damn it." One said to the other. "That wasn't Star Fox."

"Lloyd isn't going to like this." Said the other. "But his message is clear now."

One of the jackals lowered his binoculars and sighed. "We need to get moving." He said. "Lylat will lock down the mega gates following this attack. We need to get out of here before that happens."

"No." The other responded. "The gates will already be sealed by the time we get to them. We'll go to the safe house, and use the long range transmitter to contact Lloyd."

"Fine. Let's get moving then."


	3. Moving Out

_A terrorist strike, and a wounded comrade. A message had been sent. Not just to Philat, but to Lylat and Bikar as well. Leave a review if you'd like, and as always; enjoy the chapter_

Moving Out

~The rest of the day was spent moving the marshal officers into a bunker underneath the Lithonian embassy and containing the chaos. Star Fox had been deployed to monitor the skies, and the Cornerian army secured the streets. Toran had scrambled his fleets around Lylat and shut down public access to the mega gates, and the rest of the marshal officers contributed what resources they could to help contain the area.

Though the day ended with order being restored, the Cornerian military remained on high alert leading into the next day. Star Fox had been assigned to the _Great Fox II_ for a new mission, but Marcus made a detour at a Cornerian hospital.

As he walked through the halls, he made his way to an observation room where he found Jack standing before a large window plane. As he approached him, he noticed an operating room down below where the doctors operated on Nicholas. He could sense, and see Jack's distress at seeing his friend being operated on by a team of surgeons. "Jack." He said.

Jack looked to his side and stood in attention to Marcus. "Marcus." He said. "I… What are you doing here?"

"I was told they brought the bombing victim here." Marcus responded. "I was able to sense that it was either you or Nick that was wounded, but I wasn't sure which one. I came to offer my support before I went off on mission."

Jack looked back through the window and continued to watch the surgery. Marcus walked up next to him and looked through the window as well. "He survived?" He asked Jack.

"Barely." Jack responded. "When I heard he was still breathing I called for an ambulance. They arrived just in time, but he's been in a fight for his life since. They're working on stabilizing his condition before moving him into the nanite tubes that the Lithonians gave us."

"He'll pull through. I can sense it."

"How can you be so sure?"

Marcus looked at Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know." He said. "Trust me."

Marcus looked at his wrist communicator and checked his clock. "I need to get going." He said. "I'll check up on you two when I get back."

As Marcus started to walk way, Jack turned to him. "You're going after Lloyd, aren't you?" He asked.

Marcus stopped and turned back towards Jack. "We've been assigned to return to the _Great Fox II_." He responded. "But yea, I'm pretty sure Toran will send us after Lloyd."

"I want to come with you."

Marcus felt stunned after hearing Jack's words and he could sense vengeance driving Jack's motive. "No." He said. "I can read your mind. I'm not going to let you come with us with vengeance being your goal. You'd only compromise the mission."

"Nick saved my life!" Jack exclaimed. "I owe it to him."

"Nick would want you here by his side. He'd want you-"

"He'd want me out there, finding the people responsible." Jack stepped towards Marcus and gave him an assertive look. "I know Nick." He continued. "Way better than you ever could. He would want me out there to find the bastards responsible and bring them in to face justice. He saved my life, and this is how I would repay him."

"Your mind is clouded by vengeance." Marcus said as he stepped towards Jack. "I can't take a chance of you compromising our mission. We're most likely going to find Lloyd and bring him in alive. If the situation came down to it, I can't risk you pulling the trigger."

"Forget about vengeance. Forget about what's on my mind for two seconds and listen. If I was in the bed and Nick was standing here, he'd tell you the exact same thing. If he woke up and found out I did nothing to stop these guys, he'd be disgusted with me. I am asking you, give me this chance."

Marcus stood silently and felt his frustration grow. However, he also sensed of strong desire to partake on the mission. He knew there was no way that he could convince Jack to stay. He lowered his head and sighed, and gave Jack an aggressive stare. "I am going to make two things absolutely clear." Marcus said in a low tone. "I am not asking you to come with. You volunteered. I already asked something of you two once and now a life hangs in the balance. I'm not going to have two hang on my conscience."

"And the second?" Jack asked.

"We're "bringing in the bastards responsible to face justice". Those are your words, not mine. I'm going to hold you to that, because if I even sense a thought of yours that will compromise our mission I am going to send you back here to Corneria and nothing that you say or do will change that. You take orders from me, and you follow them to the letter. Is that clear?"

Jack stood tall and returned Marcus's aggressive gaze with one of his own. "Crystal, sir." Jack responded.

Marcus pressed a few buttons on his wrist gauntlet and relayed a series of commands. "Transport will come and pick us up in two minutes." He said. "A Cornerian ARW will be towed aboard the _Great Fox II_ hangar bay in the meantime. Say your good byes now, and let's get moving."

Jack turned once more to look down at Nicholas. He placed his hand on the window and took a deep breath. "Hang in there buddy." He softly said. "I'll be back soon." He stepped away from the window and followed Marcus out of the room. The two of them would eventually be picked up by an officer, and escorted to Alpha Airway.

As their hover car approached the air way, Jack became mesmerized at the sight of the Cornerian fleets taking off and landing within the airway. Dozens upon dozens of destroyers and frigates took off and landed, and capital ships spanning hundreds of meters in length darkened the sun form their view. Seeing this many ships mobilize was something Jack hadn't ever experienced before, and the sight took his breath away. "This is incredible." He softly said. "I've never seen a fleet mobilize like this in my life."

Marcus looked to Jack at his side, and his thoughts raced within his mind. "I'm not sure about this." He thought. "But then again, no one was sure about a sixteen year old taking down the All Father. Who am I to stop him from his vengeance? Dad wanted revenge on Andross, and I wanted revenge on the All Father for what he did to Sierra. Guess the cycle of vengeance continues."

Marcus turned his gaze forward and looked upon a familiar ship closing in the distance. "Jack, eyes forward." He said.

Jack looked forward and noticed the large _Great Fox II_ before them. The _Great Fox II_ rested within a massive cradle as the ship underwent improvements since the C.O.R. war. A crew worked around the ship through day and night, ensuring that it always remained combat ready. As Jack studied the ship, he also noticed a Cornerian ARW being loaded within the hangar. "There's your fighter." Marcus said as he pointed it out to Jack. "The rest of ours are already inside. Once we get to the bridge, they'll detach the cradle locks and we'll be clear to fly."

Jack still felt a rush of excitement going through his system as he couldn't believe where he was going. "Jack?" Marcus asked.

"Yea." Jack hastily responded. "I'm sorry, I…"

"This is a lot to take in, I know. But remember, you're doing this for Nick. If you want to turn back now, it's not too late."

Jack took a moment to consider Marcus's offer as doubt filled his own system. However, he remembered the sight of Nicholas on the operating table, and made a fist to seal his doubt. "No." He said. "I'm doing this. It doesn't matter what I'll go through. I'll deal."

Marcus smiled as he sensed Jack's determination remained strong. The hover car pulled up near the _Great Fox II_ hangar, and Marcus and Jack dismounted. As he stepped out of the car, Jack looked up the entry ramp to the hangar and marveled at the fighters inside. The _Arwing III_ , _Widow, Sky Bunny II,_ and the _Dart Frog_ stunned Jack as he'd never thought he'd see the fighters in the flesh. Seeing him in a daze, Marcus tapped him on the shoulder. "Wake up." He said to Jack. "Remember, we're going on a mission. This isn't a time for you to be a tourist."

"Right, sorry." Jack responded.

The two of the walked up the ramp and entered the hangar. They ascended a stairwell and exited through the doors in the back. They made their ways through the halls of the _Great Fox II_ and rose within the elevator until they finally arrived within the bridge. Upon entering the bridge, the rest of the Star Fox team had already assembled.

The team smiled at Marcus and Jack, and they rose from their seats to greet them. "Marcus!" Fred called out as he approached him. "Good to see ya bud!"

"Likewise Freddy." Marcus responded.

"You're late." Sierra said to Marcus.

"Well I made a detour to pick up a friend here."

"Who's your friend Marcus?" Abigail asked.

"Guys, this is Jack Cord. He's a Cornerian lieutenant with combat training. And…" Marcus took a breath and looked at Jack. "It's his friend who took the hit from the explosive at the council summit."

Abigail brought her hands over her mouth and Fred widened his eyes. "Oh no…" Fred softly said. "Jack… I'm so sorry."

"Are you going to be ok?" Abigail asked.

"I'll be fine." Jack responded. "I'm coming with because it's what Nick would have wanted me to do. I'll deal."

Fred walked up to Jack and looked up to him from his shorter height. He gave Jack a small punch on the arm and smiled at him. "I don't doubt it." Fred said with a reassuring smile. "But if you need to vent, I've got a pair of ears willing to listen."

"We'll be here for you if you need us." Abigail said as she placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Don't be afraid to talk to us."

Star Fox's support moved Jack. He had heard about of all of the things Star Fox has accomplished, and part of him had thought they would be cold blooded killers. He stood there completely stunned at their kindness and did not know what to say. "I…" He chocked. "Well, thanks guys. I appreciate this."

Fred and Abigail smiled and walked back to their seats. Sierra took that time to approach Jack and give him a gentle hug. "Hang in there, ok?" She said to Jack. "We'll find the men responsible and make them pay."

As she released him, she joined Fred and Abbie within the center of the bridge leaving Jack stunned. "They don't even know me." He said to Marcus. "Yet they-"

"When you fly with us, you're family whether you feel that way or not." Marcus interjected. "They'll offer you the support you need to focus on the mission, but remember. Trust is earned, not given."

"Right."

"Come on, we've got a briefing to go through."

The group sat around the center holotable within the bridge. After a few moments, Toran's hologram appeared before the team and he looked about the bridge. "Star Fox." He said to the team. "You already heard the news and you know what comes next. I-"Toran paused as he noticed Jack sitting within the bridge. "You. I remember you from the summit. Care to explain what you're doing here?"

"This is Jack Cord, a Cornerian lieutenant who was on my security detail team." Marcus interjected. "It was his friend who took the brunt of the blast, Toran."

"Ah, so you're the one." Toran looked to his side and the team could see his mouth moving but they couldn't hear his words. "I had just informed my secretary to keep tabs on Lieutenant Harth's condition." He said. "Jack, should a development arise you'll be the first to know."

Jack became stunned from Toran's kindness and sat tall. "Thank you, General." He said. "I appreciate that greatly."

Toran nodded his head and returned to his briefing. "Onto the matter at hand." He continued. "Your mission is to find and arrest Tanner Lloyd for war crimes against the Trinity Council." Toran's hologram disappeared and a holographic image of Lloyd took its place. "From what intelligence we've gathered, Tanner Lloyd is a renegade war criminal that escaped custody six years ago. Most likely due to the C.O.R. war. He is also formerly known as King, leader of a long disbanded group known as Hive."

Hearing the name Hive sparked some thoughts within Marcus as the name seemed familiar. However, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused once more on the briefing. "Currently, we have no information on Llyod's whereabouts." Toran continued. "However, his sighting patterns indicate that he is keeping his activities within the Philat system. That is where you're going."

"Makes sense, Alex." Said Fred. "But where exactly should we start? The Philat system is still a whole system, and we don't exactly have very many leads to go off on."

"One moment, Fred."

A hologram of Toran reappeared over the holotable, and soon after a hologram of Axios appeared as well. Axios donned a black, tactical commander's uniform with his blaster holstered on his thigh. His sleeves were rolled up and he wore a commander's barrette on his head. "Well this is surely a sight for sore eyes." Axios said to the group.

The Star Fox team rose from their seats and they greeted Axios with a smile. "Axios!" Marcus cheerfully said. "It's good to see you."

"Like wise kid." Responded Axios.

"To be forward, I have already deployed the Black Mist Coalition into Philat nearly a month ago." Toran added. "Unofficially, not only are they looking for Lloyd but I also have them investigating these attacks more closely. Officially, we're sending Star Fox as a public gesture to show that Lylat is offering its support without having to send in an army. You two will be working together to bring him in. I'll leave the rest of the briefing to Axios. Toran, out."

Toran's hologram disappeared and Axios took a step to the side to obtain a better view of the team. "So to pick up from where Toran left off, it sounds like you guys need a place to start." Axios said. "To be honest, our leads on Lloyd have been turning up dead ends. The man's a ghost, and his movements have become more difficult to track."

"There's got to be something you can give us." Abigail interjected. "We can't just jump into a system blind with no leads."

"I can give you one of our leads we haven't checked out yet." Axios pulled out a data pad from behind him and pressed a series of buttons. His hologram disappeared and a new hologram of a gray planet took its place. "This here is planet Lumia." He added. "Most of the PL's activity has been centered on this planet. This would be a good place to start."

"A whole planet?" Marcus added. "Can you narrow this down a bit?"

"Well, there's a city there called Arcer that's home to a pretty big tavern. The bartender there is a boar named Paolo, and the owner is a female cougar named Jeep."

"What's so special about these two?" Sierra asked.

"These two are on our watch list because the two of them are information brokers. They'll trade information for credits, and they normally sell classified materials. Officially, the Black Mist Coalition doesn't exist, and so we're reluctant on sending agents to try to broker a deal with them. But, you kids are Star Fox. You'll have a better chance obtaining their cooperation compared to us."

Marcus leaned forward and inspected the planet closer. He thought about how he would approach the mission, and thought about Jeep and Paolo. "We'll take our chances with the intel we have." He said. "Axios, thanks for the help. We've got everything we need."

"Copy that kid." Axios said as his hologram reappeared. "There's something else I need to make clear. When Toran mentioned investigating, it's more like we've already engaged the PL. Our war is being kept within the shadows, away from public eye. We can't risk a civil war breaking out between Lylat and Philat. That being said, all eyes on Philat will be on you. Try your best to avoid provoking the Philat military, and if there's going to be a battle then let me know well in advance so that we can plan accordingly. There's a lot on the line here, and a diplomatic incident might as well be around the corner."

"Duly noted. We'll be sure to exercise discretion."

"Good hunting Star Fox. Axios, out."

Axios hologram disappeared and the team rose from their seats. "We've got everything we need." Marcus said to the team. "Is everyone ready?"

The team nodded their heads and Marcus looked to his side at Jack. "Are you?" He asked.

"I'm ready." Jack responded. "Let's do this."

Marcus smiled and turned his head. He walked towards the entrance to the bridge and made a circling gesture with his hand. "ROB." He said into his communicator. "Let's do this."

Moments passed, and soon the airway crew quickly left the cradle and the _Great Fox II_ fired up its engines. Slowly, the ship took to the air and climbed into the atmosphere. Watching form within the bridge, Jack marveled at the sight of seeing Corneria's orbit. A handful of fleets patrolled the planetary orbit, and the _Great Fox II_ flew past them to the edge of the planetary system. "Stand by for jump." ROB said into the ship's speakers. "Jumping in three… two… one… mark."

The _Great Fox II_ jumped into hyperspace towards Sector X, the location of Lylat's mega gate to the Philat system. As the ship traveled, Jack found himself standing before the bridge windshield. He would have never imagined that he would be venturing out on a mission with Star Fox. He felt a sense of nervousness like none other, but his determination remained strong.

Marcus and Sierra watched him from the bridge entrance, and Sierra softly spoke to him. "He's being overwhelmed." She said. "Think he'll be ok?"

"He's determined." Marcus softly responded. "There's still vengeance within him, but it's being slowly replaced by determination. His drive. He got his foot in the door, now he wants to prove he belongs here."

"You're looking at this like it's a tryout."

Marcus chuckled at Sierra's comment and crossed his arms. "Might as well be." He said. "Fifth member?"

"Really think that's something we need?"

"You and I won't be on Star Fox forever. The team will evolve over time, and new members will come and go. This is an opportunity to groom someone into the role, and it's one I'm not willing to pass up. He's got a drive to do the right thing, for his best friend, and who am I to not give him the chance?"

Sierra put her hand on her chin and looked out towards Jack. "I guess you're right." She said. "I hope this doesn't become something we regret."

"It won't."

After a brief minute, the _Great Fox II_ exited its hyperspace jump and the team arrived on the outer edge of Sector X. Jack could see it in full view, along with the rest of the team. The mega gate remained still within space and was surrounded by half a dozen gun platforms. The massive circular ring and its spokes slowly rotated preserving the gates critical systems, and a small blue energy sphere rested within the center.

As the _Great Fox II_ approached the gate, Marcus approached the holotable and leaned over the side. A call came to the team and Marcus quickly answered it. "Approaching craft." A platform commander called out. "We recognize the ship as Star Fox. Please transmit clearance code for gate passage."

"This is Star Fox." Marcus said into the communicator. "Code, echo, five, five, sierra, one, two, nine."

Marcus looked at Sierra and winked his eye as she smiled when she heard her name. After a brief moment, a green light appeared over the holotable and Marcus stood tall. "Copy that Star Fox." The platform commander responded. "Be advised, in light of the recent attack all public access to the mega gates in the three systems has been shut down. Expect delays when traversing the Philat system's hyperspace routes."

"Copy that. We're moving into position now."

The _Great Fox II_ continued its approach and the four spokes of the gate quickly sped up. The blue energy sphere slowly expanded and after a brief minute a flash of light went off. As their sight readjusted, the Star Fox team looked through their windshield and noticed a massive blue portal had opened within the gate. "You guys ready?" Marcus asked his team.

They nodded their heads, and Marcus looked towards the rear of the bridge. "ROB, take us in." He said.

The _Great Fox II_ slowly accelerated towards the gate and a timer appeared on the bridge windshield. "Time to jump." ROB said. "Three… two… one…"

As his countdown reached zero, the ship passed through the gate and a green hyperspace hue engulfed the ship. The team felt the bridge vibrate as hyperspace travel between two different systems proved to be slightly more strenuous. As the ship traveled, Jack stepped away from the bridge windshield and walked back to the central holotable. He leaned over the edge and pressed a few buttons to bring up a hologram of the planet Lumia.

He studied the planet for a brief moment and Fred walked up to his side. "See something we don't?" He asked Jack.

"Just taking a closer look at something." Jack responded. "We're looking for a city known as Arcer, right?" Jack looked down at the console and pressed a few more buttons. The hologram zoomed into one section of the planet and Jack highlighted the city's location. "This is the place."

Fred widened his eyes as he didn't expect Jack to be able to work with the ship's console as fluently. "Not bad." He said.

"The holotable at the academy is very similar to this one." Jack responded as he continued to work with the controls. "Here we go."

The hologram changed once more and a large scale map of the city appeared before the team. They noticed that the city had no tall buildings, but a dense concentration of three and four story buildings at its center. The city rested on a hill with the larger buildings being on the top and the smaller buildings being on the bottom. Furthermore they noticed a small star port in the corner of the city. "Arcer, here it is." Jack said. "Population is only 8,500, green house domes are on the edges of the city meaning this is a farming town. That tells me something about the people."

"What does it tell you?" Marcus asked from across the table.

Jack quickly made eye contact with Marcus and stood tall. "Smaller sized towns like these with a farming community generally means they're not fond of outsiders." He responded. "They like to keep to themselves, and they don't welcome change as much. However, if you get on their good side then they'll protect you as if you are one of their own."

Fred walked up towards Jack's side and leaned on the holotable. "Sounds like we should let you do most of the talking." He said. "You seem to know your way around the culture."

"In the academy they did teach us how to interact with different styles of civilian life. That and how to diffuse a situation if the need arises."

Fred looked at Marcus and smiled. "I like this guy." He said as he pointed at Jack.

Marcus chuckled and briefly lowered his head. He continued to study the city's hologram until he noticed a timer appear alongside it. "We are exiting the mega gate jump." ROB announced. "Stand by."

Within moments, the _Great Fox II_ exited its jump and arrived within the Philat system. As it slowly exited the mega gate from Philat's side, the team looked forward and noticed another set of defense platforms pointing guns at them. "Cornerian vessel." A platform commander said in a low tone. "Welcome to the Philat System. Transmit clearance codes for passage."

Marcus pressed a series of buttons into his console and spoke. "This is Star Fox." He said. "Code, echo, five, five, sierra, one, two, nine."

"Confirmed." The platform commander responded. "Star Fox, in light of recent events, you will understand why your actions will be closely monitored within our system. You will also understand that any actions your team takes will be subject to Philat authority. I suggest you exercise caution when passing through our worlds."

"We'll exercise caution, so you won't have to worry. We're passing through now."

The platform defenses pointed their canons away from the _Great Fox II_ and the ship passed through the initial defense. Marcus took a deep breath and thought about what to do next. He pressed a series of buttons on the holotable and a hologram of Lumia appeared. "ROB, set a course for Lumia." He said. "At the same time, what can one of you tell me about this planet?"

"I got this." Abigail said as she stepped forward. "Lumia is on the edge of the habitable zone of the Philat star. This means that its surface temperature is a lot colder compared to the other planets within the system. If you guys remember Vogar, it's the polar opposite of that."

"So what?" Fred asked. "Another Fichina?"

"Actually no. The surface temperature is incredibly cold, for sure, but the snowfall is rather minimal. The populace set up climate control towers to create safe zones where the people live. But even in the safe zones the temperature drops to about 30 degrees below centigrade. We're going to need thermals."

"All right." Marcus responded. "We're about to make the jump. Head to the armory and gear up for a civilian reconnaissance mission. Cold gear and blasters too. Rather not take chances."

The team nodded their heads and the four of them approached the end of the bridge. "Jack, wait up a second." Marcus called out.

Jack stopped and he looked back at Marcus. His heart stopped for a moment as nervousness took over his system and he approached Marcus. "What do you need?" He asked.

Marcus stood tall and approached Jack. He placed his hand on his shoulder as he could sense Jack's nervousness. "You're nervous." He said. "That's good. Means you're smart and you know that the danger is very real. To be honest, I'd be lying if I said that the rest of the team wasn't nervous."

"They seem to be handling themselves just fine." Jack said as he looked back towards the bridge entrance.

"Because they've had experience keeping themselves composed throughout a mission. This will be your first time. I know I've asked you this already, probably more than I should. But I do this because I'm also going to be looking out for you." Marcus took his hand off of Jack's shoulder and crossed his arms. "You ready for this?"

Jack stood tall in front of Marcus. Even though he felt nervous, his determination had never wavered. "I've had good training." Jack responded. "I'm ready."

Marcus nodded his head and walked with Jack towards the bridge entrance. The two of them descended a level and they approached the ship's armory. There they already saw the rest of the team gearing up for their mission. While Fred loaded his blaster and checked the team's munitions, Sierra and Abigail had just finished putting on a skin tight thermal layer. The thermals mimicked the curves and figure of their bodies almost perfectly, and Marcus and Jack stood still for a moment as the sight put them into a daze. Seeing the two of them stunned, Sierra blushed for a moment and Abigail chuckled. "You boys like what you see?" She cheerfully asked.

Fred became confused and looked back at Marcus and Jack. He then looked at Sierra and Abigail and realized what was going on. "Ok guys, fun's over." He said to the two of them. "We've got a job to do. There'll be plenty of time for your fun after the mission."

Hearing Fred's words snapped Marcus and Jack out of their daze and the two of them let their faces turn red. Marcus put his hands to his waist and lowered his head while Jack scratched his head and timidly looked to his side. Sierra and Abigail let out a laugh and they continued to get dressed in their tactical cold gear. "Jack, go get ready." Marcus said in his embarrassment.

"Aye aye." Jack responded.

The team took the time they needed and geared up in their cold gear. Their thermal layers, though tight, fit rather comfortably underneath the rest of their gear. Each member had a blaster holstered behind their jackets, and Jack had a combat knife tucked away on his side. ROB spoke into the ship's loudspeakers as the team left the armory. "We've arrived at the edge of the Lumia's space zone." He said. "Opening hangar bay doors and activating shields."

"Copy that ROB." Marcus responded in his ear piece. "We're on our way down."

The team boarded the ship's elevator and took it all the way down to the hangar level. As they entered the hangar's observation room, they watched as the doors to the _Great Fox II_ opened before them. A blue shield layer preserved the atmosphere inside the ship, and the team exited the observation room and descended a flight of stairs. "We're taking the shuttle ROB." Marcus said into his ear piece. "Keep the ship in orbit and stand by for combat."

"Understood." ROB responded.

"Let's mount up."


	4. Lumia

_A new mission begins, but not one taken at home. Millions of eyes are watching, and every choice will have consequences. Leave a review if you'd like, and as always; enjoy the chapter!_

Lumia

~Moments upon leaving the hangar, the Star Fox team took their shuttle into Lumia's atmosphere. The night sky darkened the city of Arcer, but the city lights paved way for air traffic to see the ground. The Star Fox team neared their destination, and they looked through the windshield to gaze upon the city below. "Not much for tech." Fred said as he looked at Arcer. "This place is really low key."

"Most likely due to the fact that most people here are of the lower to middle class." Jack added from behind Fred. "Like I said, a lot of the people here are farmers. Those bio-domes on the city edges is where they spend the majority of the day time. At night, they're most likely at the bars."

"Good thing it's a bar where we're going." Marcus said in response. "You guys head to the back, I'm taking us into the star port."

Fred, Abigail, and Jack left the cockpit and sat in the benches of the shuttle's main cabin area. Marcus and Sierra navigated their shuttle towards Arcer's star port. "See the docking bays?" Sierra asked as she worked with her controls. "There's an open bay on the left side."

"That'll do." Marcus responded.

Marcus brought the shuttle to a hover over an empty docking bay. He lowered it inside and a large circular door closed over the shuttle. As the shuttle touched down, Marcus powered off the main engines and the rest of the shuttle's systems. He and Sierra unstrapped themselves from their chairs and joined the rest of the team in the main cabin. "We're good." Marcus said to the team. "Jack, get the door."

Jack nodded his head and walked to the side of the ship. He pressed a pair of buttons and the side door slid open. The team stepped out of the shuttle and noticed an elderly rat approaching them. The rat wore thick winter clothing and a pair of goggles rested over his winter hat. "Howdy there kids." The rat said to the team. "Name's Linas. What brings y'all here?"

"Looking to visit a few friends." Marcus responded. "Can you take care of our ship?"

"Oh I could make sure ya lady there is all pretty by the next time ya need 'er, but I don't work for free junior. Y'all got some-" Linas quickly stopped himself as a familiar feeling went through him. He looked more closely at Marcus and he walked close to him. He looked up at Marcus and squinted his eyes, and soon a large smile went across his face. "Wait a minute!" He exclaimed. "You're- You're that Lylat hero!"

Marcus took a half step back as Linas continued to approach him. "My name's Marcus McCloud." He said. "I'm the leader of the Star Fox team."

"Yea, yea!" Linas responded. "You're that kid who saved Lylat! Ha! Well I'll be damned!"

"Yea, that's me." Marcus reached into the back of his jacket and pulled out a credit chip. "How much to keep our ship here?"

Linas put his hands up and smiled. "I'll let ya off this one junior." He responded. "Y'all go on ahead. Don't want to keep ya friends waitin'."

Marcus smiled and nodded his head. "Appreciate that." He said.

The team left the docking bay and exited the star port. The bitter cold of the night hit the team, and they buried their necks and faces into the collars of their jackets. "N-not cool!" Fred complained. "I'm a toad! I don't like the cold!"

"Our thermals are still adjusting." Marcus said as he looked at his wrist gauntlet. "We should be fine in a few moments, just try to relax."

"Easier said than done, Marcus." Abigail said as she shivered.

"I second that." Jack added as he shivered.

"Abbie, Jack, just take deep breaths and relax your body."

Jack brought his hands together in front of his mouth and breathed into them. His breathing slowed as he tried to relax his muscles, and soon he felt the warmth of his thermal layer. "My thermals are kicking in." He said. "Where to Marcus?"

Marcus pressed a few buttons on his wrist gauntlet. "We're looking for the Last Breath Tavern." He said as he read a city map. "That's where our two contacts are. Let's get moving."

The team quickly paced away from the star port and into the city streets. The bitterness of the cold soon faded as their thermals kept their bodies warm. As they relaxed, they stood tall and began to walk casually through the streets instead of burying their faces within their jackets. The team studied their surroundings as they walked, and they noticed very few people walking about the streets. "Wonder where everyone is?" Fred asked as he looked about. "So much for a night on the town."

"They're all inside, Fred." Jack responded as he looked through the building windows. "The night time cold isn't something these people would willingly deal with. They're all inside enjoying the warmth."

"Wish we could say the same." Abigail commented as she still shivered.

"Are your thermals not working?" Fred asked.

"They are. I'm still just trying to relax."

"Don't worry." Marcus interjected. "The bar is up ahead. We'll be out of the cold soon."

"Remember, be passive." Jack added. "Small towns like this are not generally fond of outsiders. We're not looking for trouble."

Marcus turned his head and nodded back at Jack. "You heard the man."

The team continued down the street and they noticed a large sign illuminated with bright red lights. They read Last Breath from the sign, and they could hear all of the mingling from the inside. The team entered the tavern and looked about the spacious interior. The bar counter resided against the far wall from the entry, and while there amassed a large amount of people on the ground floor, a stair case on the side provided access to another level above.

As the team entered, all eyes turned to them. People stared at them with an unwelcoming gaze, and the team stood stunned for a moment. However, Marcus looked about the people and did not sense any hostile intentions. He nodded his head to the crowd, and led his team forward. They walked through the middle of the ground floor towards the bar, and as they walked the people inside looked away and returned to their drinks.

Marcus approached the bar and set his eyes upon a large boar cleaning a pair of black mugs. He tapped into the boar's mind and learned his name. He confirmed that this was one of his contacts, and he sat on top of a stool while the rest of his team surrounded him from behind. "Yea yea, I'll be right witcha." Paolo said as he set down his bugs.

Paolo turned around once more and looked upon Marcus and his team. As he looked into Marcus's eyes, he felt a very familiar sensation. Marcus's gaze made Paolo reminisce about his past, and he recalled meeting someone else who gave him a very similar gaze. He knew that Marcus hadn't come for drinks, but for information instead. "So, now I have another one of ya kids running up in here playin' bounty hunter." He said to Marcus as he approached him.

"You know why I'm here?" Marcus asked in his surprise.

"I know that look, kid. I've seen it on one too many faces to not know it. I didn't even have to take a look at ya, but I could tell that when you was walkin' up in here, you stared me down and could tell right then and there: that's the guy I'm looking for." Paolo sat down upon a stool in front of Marcus and leaned in closer to study Marcus's appearance. "But you isn't here for no conversation. You is here looking for someone."

Marcus became curious and he looked deep into Paolo's eyes. He tapped into his mind again and found memories of Axios, Isaac, and Joey. "I believe you know some friends of mine." He said as he continued to read Paolo's memories. "Axios? Does that name ring a bell?"

Paolo immediately recognized the name, and a small sensation of relief went through his system. "Yea yea…" He softly responded. "I know that name. He came by some time ago lookin' for a friend of mine. When he came by he gave my friend an offer he couldn't pass up, and now he's out there fightin' with your buddy Axios."

"He's my god father." Marcus responded. "He's also got his resources, and he-"

"You mean the Black Mist Coalition?"

Marcus's eyes widened as Paolo's words stunned him. "Heh heh, don't look too surprised kid." Paolo said. "Information is my business. Although, a broker like my self is nothing without a sense of honor. I ain't told no body about your secret Cornerian army. I owe it to that friend of mine."

"I haven't even told you my name, let alone who I work for or where I'm from." Marcus said.

"You got wax in them ears of yours kid? I just said that information is my business. You is Marcus McCloud of Star Fox. The famed hero of Lylat. A name and face like that ain't something I'd forget easily. Besides, you already knew who I was before you even walked in here."

Marcus chuckled for a moment and relaxed himself. "All right then, Paolo." He said. "Can we get on with business?"

The rest of the team stood guard while Marcus and Paolo continued to converse. As they looked about the bar, they carefully monitored the hands of the many people within the area. "See anything?" Fred asked the team.

"I'm looking at everyone's hands." Sierra responded. "No guns, no knives; we're leaving here with no conflict."

"As long as we stay passive, we should be in and out of here without a hitch." Jack said as he crossed his arms.

Abigail looked to the side and noticed a pair of wolves rise from their table and approach the team. The two wolves could barely walk straight as they were intoxicated from their drinks, and they both stared at her and Sierra. She noticed their eyes trace their bodies up and down, and their looks revealed their perverse intentions. "Sierra." Abigail quickly said.

Sierra looked to her side and the rest of the team became alert. "Ex- excuse me ladies." One of the wolves said as they approached. "I couldn't help but notice that you is here without a drink."

"We're not big into drinking." Abigail responded.

"Aw, come on." The other wolf said. "Every pretty face ought to enjoy a drink here and there. What say you join us? We'll buy you a round or two."

"Sorry boys, but we're both taken." Sierra responded. "Just do us a favor and leave us alone."

The two wolves became irritated and took another step towards them. "Now come on lady, don't be like that." Said one wolf as he reached out towards Sierra's shoulder. "Come hang out with us and we'll show you a great time."

The wolf grabbed Sierra's shoulder and she quickly panicked. Out of instinct, she grabbed the wolf's wrist and held it on her shoulder while she took her other arm and struck the joint of the wolf's elbow. The resulting impact broke the wolf's elbow and he cried out in pain. Seeing his friend wounded, the second wolf became furious and charged Sierra. Abigail quickly stepped in the way and used the wolf's momentum to swing him over her shoulder and onto the ground. As she quickly placed her knee into the wolf's throat, the rest of the bar quickly became alert.

Marcus and Paolo quickly ended their conversation and Marcus could sense hostile intent coming from everyone in the tavern. He looked to his side and saw the two wolves being restrained by Sierra and Abigail, and he looked to the crowd to see everyone giving his team angry glares. "Who do you think you are?!" Someone shouted from the crowd. "You've got some nerve kids!" Another shouted. "I say we kill them!" Shouted a third.

"There ain't gonna be no killing in my bar!" A loud feminine voice shouted from upstairs. Within moments, all eyes within the room turned to the corner on the second floor. A grey furred cougar wearing black winter clothing and an eye patch approached the balcony arm rail and looked out over the crowd. "Y'all are so thirsty for ya drinks and trouble that y'all didn't even recognize who just walked in." She said to the crowd as she leaned against the rail. "Them kids… are Star Fox. Y'all heard of them?"

The people in the crowd looked amongst each other and they nodded their heads. As they looked back at Star Fox, they could see the team reaching behind their jackets preparing their blasters. "I know y'all heard of them before." Continued the cougar. "Them kids there are the ones responsible for bringing down the Children of Red, and the Crimson Organization. Y'all remember when those two group came around 'ere? What they did to people like us?"

Again, the people in the bar nodded their heads to each other. "Them kids there." Continued the cougar. "They're from the Lylat system, and only ever leave that system if they on business. So for those of you brainless morons who can't put two and two together, they here on business. You know what you get for messin' with their business?" The cougar pointed to the two wolves on the ground in pain and the crowd became nervous. "Now, I'd advise y'all to leave them kids be. Unless you're looking for a painful way to end your night. Paolo! Send them kids my way and bring us a pair of blacks!"

"Yes ma'am." Paolo responded. "You kids run upstairs now."

Marcus nodded his head and the team left the counter. The team approached the stairs to ascend them, and Marcus walked towards Sierra and shot her a quick angry look. "What the hell was that?" He asked her. "We're not here looking for trouble."

"He grabbed me." Sierra quickly responded. "I wasn't about to let him have his way."

"Fine. But next time try to defuse the situation without causing a panic."

"Easier said than done, Marcus. Give me a break, would you?"

As the team reached the top, they turned the corner and walked towards the far side of the second floor. There they approached a large corner table, and as they neared it the cougar sat back and rested her legs on the table. "Well slap me sideways and call me lucky." The cougar said to the team. "Marcus McCloud, in my bar."

Marcus pulled up an empty chair and sat across from the cougar while the rest of the team stood behind him. "Well, "Lucky", I suppose we owe you one." Marcus said as he brought his hands together.

"With the way them boys downstairs been treating your ladies I'd say I owe you an apology instead." The cougar responded. "I'm guessin' by the way y'all walked in here y'all already know who I am?"

"Janelle "Jeep" Eperson. Born and raised in Philat. Mother died giving birth and father died in a factory accident. Went in and out of a few foster homes until you were adopted at the ripe old age of fourteen. Rebellious in youth, you stole your foster parents' family shuttle and ran off. Spent the next ten years running around with a group of bounty hunters learning about the drug trade and a bit of combat. After that was all said and done you stole your group's hard earned credits, disappeared for another few years, and opened up this here bar."

Jeep smiled at Marcus and reached into her coat to pull out a pack of cigarettes. "Not bad kid…" She said as she pulled out a lighter to light her cigarette. "Not bad at all."

As Jeep exhaled, the smoke slowly floated towards Marcus. Marcus gently blew the smoke away from him and brought his attention back forward. "That's just what we got on file." He said to her. "But if you're as good as our boss says, and done your homework on me; you know I can tell you what we don't have on file."

Jeep took another breath form her cigarette and exhaled off to the side. "Can you really do it?" She asked. "Are you really one of them mind readers?"

Marcus took a moment to tap into Jeep's memories. "About two years after you opened this bar…" He said as he read her memories. "That bounty hunter group you stole from found you. A firefight broke out in which your old bartender was killed. A plasma round broke through your cover, through your eye, and scarred the side of your face. Despite the pain you killed them off. Since then you wanted to prevent another incident like that from happening, so you entered the information trade. Been brokering secrets for credits ever since."

Jeep tapped the butt end of her cigarette to dump the excess ash into a tray. She turned her head to the side and traced her finger on a linear scar leading from her eye to the back of her temple. "Most memorable fire fight of my life." She said. "One that I ain't looking to relive." She took another breath from her cigarette and straightened her head. "You are really something, sweetie. I ain't told that story to nobody before."

"I won't spread the gossip." Marcus responded. "Now that introductions are aside, I'm looking for information."

"Before we get to that, I got something for you."

Marcus felt a presence behind him and turned to find Paolo bringing a tray with two mugs. "Ma'am, pair o' blacks. Ripe and ready, just the way you like it." He said as he placed them on the table.

"Thanks hun." Jeep said to Paolo. "Be a dear and put 'em on my tab."

"Yes ma'am."

As Paolo walked away, Jeep reached forward and grabbed one of the mugs. Marcus looked down at the mug and looked at the dark beer inside. "This here is a Lumen Black Widow." Jeep said to Marcus. "Darkest, most savoring beer on this planet. We're the only bar that brews it, so we only break it out on special occasions."

"Sorry to say I'm not much of a drinker." Marcus said to her as he leaned back in his seat.

"Come on now sweetie. You want to work with me? Then take a load off. Besides, I've got plenty of records that'd say that one beer ain't gonna ruin your flying skills."

Marcus took a deep breath and leaned forward to grab the mug. He stared down at the drink for a moment before bringing the mug to his lips and taking a drink. The taste of the beer was unlike any Marcus had had before, and it caught him off guard. After swallowing, Marcus coughed and set the mug down while Jeep giggled in her seat. "There it is." She said with a chuckle as Marcus coughed. "Let 'er out kid, she comes back out with a vengeance. That there is the kicker, and she ain't no smooth dancer."

After Marcus caught his breath, the after taste of the beer lingered in his mouth but became more tolerable. "Never had something that dark in my life." He said.

"You'll get used to it sweetie." Jeep buried her cigarette in the ash tray and held her mug close to her. "Now, let's talk business. I've got two guesses as to why y'all here but I'm only gonna need one."

"We're looking for Tanner Lloyd." Marcus said.

Jeep sighed upon hearing the words. "Yea… thought so." Jeep took another drink and set her mug down. "Drink up, cause you is in for some bad news."

Marcus reached for the mug and took a larger drink than before. As he set the mug down Jeep lowered her feet onto the ground and leaned forward. "The whole damn Philat system is lookin' for Tanner Lloyd." She said in a softer tone. "That man, he's a ghost. On top of that his PL boys have put a few of my contacts into the grave. He's costed me time and money that I officially don't have."

"He also put a friend of ours in the hospital, so you're not the only one with a score to settle." Marcus responded. "Where can I find him?"

"Like I said, sweetie, he's a ghost. Truth be told, not even Paolo and I know where he is. You'd figure that a wanted criminal like that would be found easy, but this man knows how to cover his tracks. Could be anywhere for all we know, and you can read my mind too if ya don't believe me."

Marcus quickly tapped into her thoughts and learned she was telling the truth. "I already did." He said. "So if that's the case, what about the PL? Got anything on them?"

Jeep looked off to the side and nodded her head at a group of drunk coyotes in the corner. "See them boys there?" She softly said. "Them boys there are from the PL. They come in once a week to drink their credits away. However, tonight since they showed up they be running their mouths about some new shipments and a warehouse district up north."

Marcus discretely looked over his shoulder and focused his attention onto the coyotes. He tapped into their minds from a distance and read their thoughts and memories. "They've got a new shipment of weapons coming into the system." He said as he continued to read their minds. "Some new stolen tech from the Philat Military. New guns that'll allegedly give the PL an edge in their insurgency. The shipment will be coming in an hour to warehouse district about 20 miles north of Arcer. There's going to be a lot of PL there, a lot of guns too."

Jeep took another drink from her mug and smiled. "Sweetie, you really are impressive." She said.

"I suppose you want some compensation for the information?" Marcus asked.

"You kill that Tanner Lloyd and that'll be compensation enough."

Marcus stood from his seat and reached into his coat. He pulled out a few credits and tossed them onto the table in front of Jeep. "What's this?" She asked.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I wasn't sent to kill him." Marcus said as he reached or his mug. "So here's for your trouble." Marcus took a breath and took a long drink form his mug before setting it down on the table. "Thanks for the beer. Maybe we'll be back once this fight is long over."

Jeep leaned back and rested her legs on the table once more. She smiled at Marcus and took another drink from her mug. "Come back any time sweetie." She said as she raised her mug to Marcus. "Last Breath is always open to you."

Marcus nodded his head and walked away. The team followed him downstairs and out of the bar back outside. "So where to?" Jack asked.

"We're going to the star port and we're heading north." Marcus responded. "The PL own a warehouse district up north and there's a shipment of guns coming in. We're going to go to disrupt the shipment and learn what we can."

The team walked back to the star port and found their shuttle. As they boarded, they bid their farewells to Linas and powered up the shuttle engines. The shuttle slowly lifted into the air and soon flew away into the sky.

Marcus equipped an ear piece and pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet. "So here's the deal." He said into the team's communications channel. "We don't know what we're going to find up there. To make things clear, we're going in for a stealth op. Our mission is to infiltrate, and evaluate. But if push comes to shove then prepare for some sabotage. If we can give the PL a black eye that'll help the BMC."

"BMC?" Asked Jack through the channel.

"Black Mist Coalition." Freddy responded from across from him.

"Oh yea, right."

"With that said, the warehouse is coming up on long range scanners." Sierra said into the channel. "Freddy, you're up."

"I'm on it." Fred responded. Fred stood form his seat and pressed a trio of buttons near the door controls of the shuttle. A floor panel rotated and revealed a holotable on the ground. The holotable slowly rose from the ground and Freddy approached it. "I'm running the scans now." He said as he operated the controls.

After a few moments, a holographic rendering of the warehouse district appeared over the table. "So here's what we got." Fred said into his ear piece. "The districts got five warehouses in the center, and an office building with a watch tower in the corner. The warehouses are in the open, so approaching them won't be easy. However, there's a road with trucks frequently going in and out of the main site. If we're looking to infiltrate, that'll be our best bet."

Marcus pressed a few buttons on his flight console and the holographic rendering of the warehouse district appeared before him and Sierra. "I see it now." He responded. "I like the truck idea, but we need to deal with the office building and the watch tower."

"We can place a sentry in the watch tower." Sierra suggested. "Clear the office building, so that we can have eyes and ears with the security cameras. And then have that same person perch up on the watch tower for sniper support."

"Nice thinking, Sierra." Abigail said in agreement. "Do we have any volunteers?"

"Right here." Jack said as he stood from the bench. "My pops and I would spend at least fifteen hours a week on the range back in the day. If you're looking for a good shot, I'll be your guy."

"Sounds good to me." Marcus said. "Ok, then here's what we'll do. We'll land on the outer edge of the district and clear out the office and watch tower. Jack, Freddy will give you a bug to monitor their security. You'll have their eyes and ears on your PDA. Then we'll stow away on some truck and infiltrate the district."

"Copy that." Jack responded.

"Freddy, Abbie, Sierra, the four of us will split up and search a different building. We'll move our way to the fifth warehouse and regroup there."

"Understood." Abigail and Fred said in unison.

"Remember, our primary objective is to obtain information on Llyod's whereabouts." Marcus continued. "Our secondary objective is to sabotage the PL's operations in this district. Freddy, we'll need an explosive solution."

"I've got micro pulse bombs in the weapons kit in the back." Fred responded. "Plant one in each of the buildings, that'll surely disrupt their operations."

"Sounds perfect." Sierra said as she unstrapped herself form the co-pilots seat. "Let's gear up."

As Marcus continued to fly the shuttle, the rest of the team opened the weapons cabinet in the back of the shuttle. They armed themselves with tactical cold gear and each grabbed a sub machine gun. Jack reached for the end of the cabinet and grabbed a sniper rifle and wrapped it around his shoulder. "Suppressors." Fred said as he reached for them. "We don't want to be heard."

The four of them grabbed one from Fred and attached it to the barrel of their weapons. They each finished gearing up and noticed a yellow flashing light on the cabin roof. "I'm bringing us down." Marcus said into their communicators. "Take a seat, we'll be flying low."

The team quickly took a seat within the cabin and Marcus lowered the shuttle towards the ground. As his speed slowed down, Sierra rose from her seat and approached the cockpit. She and Marcus could see the warehouse district within the distance, and Marcus slowly touched the ship down on the ground. "We're a quarter mile out from the district." He said to the team. "Let's hope they didn't catch us on radar."

"So far I don't see any alarms." Sierra said as she looked at the console. "We're in the clear."

Marcus rose from his seat and walked into the cabin to approach the weapons cabinet. He geared up and Abigail handed him a suppressed sub machine gun. "Thank, Abbie." Marcus said.

Abigail nodded her head and opened the side door of the shuttle. The team dismounted and quickly moved through the cold field towards the edge of the district. They took cover behind a set of rocks and looked out into the district. As they scanned all of the patrols, the trucks, and gauged the level of danger, Marcus took a deep breath and set his eyes on the office building. "Show time." He said.


End file.
